A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[Pyxis]

I am getting some duck eggs that are crested. How hard are those to hatch?

Crested is a lethal gene - if both parents are crested, 25% of the ducklings will die in the shell.

The crest is caused by a hole in the skull. The blood vessels that feed the crest run directly through the hole from from the brain to the crest, so the crest is directly attached to the brain. So if it gets pulled on...

Also, the cresting and hole cause fat deposits in the skull and brain. This happens to over 82% of all crested ducks, and leads to problems such as:

• Incoordination (ataxia), which may appear as a tottering walk. If ducks fall on their backs, they aren't able right themselves.
• Erratic head movements (tremors)
• Abnormally small eyes
• Convulsions
• Twisted or crooked neck (torticollis)
• Abnormal changes in behavior
• Inability to stand

The length of time before neurological signs start to develop can vary and can be present upon hatch or may not start to show until several weeks to months later.

So it's not necessarily the incubation that causes the problems, it's the crest itself. It's why I won't breed crested ducks.

 

[kfelton0002]

Crested is a lethal gene - if both parents are crested, 25% of the ducklings will die in the shell.

The crest is caused by a hole in the skull. The blood vessels that feed the crest run directly through the hole from from the brain to the crest, so the crest is directly attached to the brain. So if it gets pulled on...

Also, the cresting and hole cause fat deposits in the skull and brain. This happens to over 82% of all crested ducks, and leads to problems such as:

• Incoordination (ataxia), which may appear as a tottering walk. If ducks fall on their backs, they aren't able right themselves.
• Erratic head movements (tremors)
• Abnormally small eyes
• Convulsions
• Twisted or crooked neck (torticollis)
• Abnormal changes in behavior
• Inability to stand

The length of time before neurological signs start to develop can vary and can be present upon hatch or may not start to show until several weeks to months later.

So it's not necessarily the incubation that causes the problems, it's the crest itself. It's why I won't breed crested ducks.

Oh goodness, I didn't know that. I will be sure to let my friends son know all that as he is who the ducklings are for. Thank you for all that info! I don't know much about ducks.

 

[kfelton0002]

I can’t tell if it is a Sweetgrass or Fall FireView attachment 3790627

 Looks fall fire.

 

[I Like Turkeys]

Asking for confirmation. This is a rusty slate, right? Like 90% sure but I’ve never seen such a white head from the photos people post online of rusty-colored turkeys. I’ve really only seen the ones where nearly their entire faces are black or grayish red. I’m guessing that just means this poult is homozygous for the black base, since that makes whiter heads? Had my rusty black hen under my lavender tom for a few weeks when she started laying so it’s possible for one to have hatched, and I don’t see how else the poult would have such a reddish tone to it.

Beside normal slate

 

[R2elk]

Asking for confirmation. This is a rusty slate, right? Like 90% sure but I’ve never seen such a white head from the photos people post online of rusty-colored turkeys. I’ve really only seen the ones where nearly their entire faces are black or grayish red. I’m guessing that just means this poult is homozygous for the black base, since that makes whiter heads? Had my rusty black hen under my lavender tom for a few weeks when she started laying so it’s possible for one to have hatched, and I don’t see how else the poult would have such a reddish tone to it.View attachment 3792541

Beside normal slate
View attachment 3792540

@austria89

 

[R2elk]

Asking for confirmation. This is a rusty slate, right? Like 90% sure but I’ve never seen such a white head from the photos people post online of rusty-colored turkeys. I’ve really only seen the ones where nearly their entire faces are black or grayish red. I’m guessing that just means this poult is homozygous for the black base, since that makes whiter heads? Had my rusty black hen under my lavender tom for a few weeks when she started laying so it’s possible for one to have hatched, and I don’t see how else the poult would have such a reddish tone to it.View attachment 3792541

Beside normal slate
View attachment 3792540

I am thinking you said you have a Chocolate hen, is that correct.

 

[I Like Turkeys]

I am thinking you said you have a Chocolate hen, is that correct.

I do have chocolate hens, but in a separate breeding pen from the slates. Shouldn’t be possible for them to interbreed.

I had a rusty black hen in with the slates for a short period of time though, so rusty slates were possible.

I also mark eggs with the pen they’re from as soon as I collect them, and only one chocolate egg hatched from the clutch this poult is from, which produced a normally-colored chocolate. This poult seems to have come from a slate pen egg.

 

[kfelton0002]

Asking for confirmation. This is a rusty slate, right? Like 90% sure but I’ve never seen such a white head from the photos people post online of rusty-colored turkeys. I’ve really only seen the ones where nearly their entire faces are black or grayish red. I’m guessing that just means this poult is homozygous for the black base, since that makes whiter heads? Had my rusty black hen under my lavender tom for a few weeks when she started laying so it’s possible for one to have hatched, and I don’t see how else the poult would have such a reddish tone to it.View attachment 3792541

Beside normal slate
View attachment 3792540

Is it possible the tom is split for chocolate?

 

[I Like Turkeys]

Is it possible the tom is split for chocolate?

I don’t know. I’ve been using a lavender tom from McMurray to breed slates for the last two years, and I don’t know what their practices over there are like, or whether something like that could’ve happened.

I do know that last year i didn’t get any weirdly colored poults though. Just the standard slate color expected from breeding him to black hens.

 

[kfelton0002]

I don’t know. I’ve been using a lavender tom from McMurray to breed slates for the last two years, and I don’t know what their practices over there are like, or whether something like that could’ve happened.

I do know that last year i didn’t get any weirdly colored poults though. Just the standard slate color expected from breeding him to black hens.

Then it could be a rusty slate. BB Dd Rr or Bb Dd Rr. Or it could be a Barred slate Bb Dd. I would love to see how it grows out. From the looks of it, it looks to have a full black base so BB Dd Rr would be my guess. So cute!